Setting an early bedtime for your kids might get you more evening downtime, but is it getting you more sleep? More sleep than adults—their bodies and brains are still growing, after all. That’s why so many parents aim to enforce strict bedtime rules, and a 7 p.m. lights-out is often considered the gold standard. But who decided that, anyway? Turns out, the seven-to-seven sleep schedule (as in: asleep by 7 p.m., awake by 7 a.m.) has just as much to do with daily routines as it does with science. “A 7 p.m. bedtime gives families space to reconnect after work or school, enjoy dinner together, and then have a little breathing room after the kids are tucked in. So is 7 p.m. a biologically perfect bedtime, or just a helpful parenting strategy? Let’s unpack where the rule came from, what the science actually says, and the best way to create a routine that works for your family—not the clock. So, where did the 7 p.m. bedtime even come from? Zales traces it back to something simple: the 7-to-7 schedule (as in asleep by 7 p.m., awake by 7 a.m.). “Children in their early years typically need 11 to 12 hours of sleep,” she says. “A 7 o’clock bedtime allows for a natural 7 a.m. wakeup, which means they’re well-rested and ready for daycare, school, or just in life in general. For parents, it also keeps mornings calm instead of chaotic.” While all humans operate on a circadian rhythm—and syncing with it helps improve the quality of sleep—certified sleep consultant Meg O’Leary says there’s no universal bedtime for kids. “Children’s optimal bedtimes depend on a mix of factors: their age, nap schedule, and internal body clock,” she explains. “For instance, a 2-year-old who still naps in the afternoon will likely need a much later bedtime than a 4-year-old who’s dropped naps altogether.” Instead of anchoring sleep to a specific clock time, O’Leary recommends a more intuitive approach: Start by working backward from your child’s wake time, making sure they’re getting the total hours of sleep recommended for their age group (more on that below). Then, adjust from there.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Why Your Child Perfect Bedtime Might Not Be Seven PM After All
